They say cleanliness is next to godliness, but I have never believed that statement. My house looks lived in. There are piles of clutter, blankets of dust, and fur tumbleweeds. All those things make my house a home, at least that is what I tell myself. The closets are burgeoning with all the clutter piles … Continue reading Retirement
Freedom
The absence of coercion or constraint in choice or action. Liberation from slavery or the power of another. We all agree freedom is of high value. Maybe the highest. Even if we do not all interpret what freedom looks like in the same way, we recognize the worth of this multi-dimensional noun. It means so … Continue reading Freedom
Will the Whippoorwill
Last weekend, some of our family went on a picnic. We were sitting outside by a river when the story of Will the Whippoorwill came up, as memories sometimes do when families are together. It goes something like this. On top of a mountain, stood a house. In the evening hours the windows stood open … Continue reading Will the Whippoorwill
Lessons from the Clay
I’ve been potting for about a year now and boy, have I learned a lot. I think any new venture comes with a learning curve. Pottery is no exception. The question is: Do I have what it takes to get around the curve? Can I hang in there long enough to get to the place … Continue reading Lessons from the Clay
A Mother’s Words
One of the values of being a writer is that the words can live beyond your lifetime. This is both a scary thought to me and a comforting one. Hopefully, the words I write leave the world a better place because someday they will be all that is left of me. My only mark on … Continue reading A Mother’s Words
I am a Speaker
I never knew I was a writer. Until a newspaper editor put “Michelle Gunnin is a writer.” in my byline for an article I wrote, I had no idea. I put ideas on paper, but in my mind, that didn’t make me a real writer (whatever a real writer looks like). It was just thoughts. … Continue reading I am a Speaker
The Greens have Arrived
In the fall, my kitchen turns into a place of worship because the fall leaves make my windows into stained glass. In the spring, the leaves are equally spectacular, only they tint everything green with new life. Their luminosity lights them from the inside, creating a green curtain around my house. It is like an … Continue reading The Greens have Arrived
Even the Bones…
I went to Boneyard Beach this week. It is a long stretch of sand, covered with downed trees which appear to have toppled when the water eroded the sandy soil beneath them. Each one is its own work of art, like giant pieces of driftwood. The sun has bleached them to almost white. The root … Continue reading Even the Bones…
Pebble in My Shoe
There is a pebble in my shoe. With each step I wound myself. The pain travels into the sole and causes me to walk with a limp. Step. Hobble. Step. Hobble. It is beyond annoying. The bruises make me dread each footfall. Some steps are painless, as the stone moves to the side, but that … Continue reading Pebble in My Shoe
Conclusion
This is the conclusion of my TBI series for Brain Injury Awareness Month. Thanks for reading! People do not know what life is like for TBI survivors and their loved ones. Our goal in sharing our story is to bring awareness. Empathy for others requires trying to see things from a different point of view … Continue reading Conclusion
Michelle's Mosaic 